Flow indicator for hose



Dec. 15, 1953 R. R. TURNER 2,662,502

FLOW INDICATOR FOR HOSE Filed Nov. 12, 1952 I N VEN TOR. Tar/2 er A T TOR/V5 Y3.

Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PAT ENT QFFECE .FLQW INDICATOR .FOR .HQSE Ralph Turner, Warwick, R. I. .ApplicationiNovemher 12, 1,952 ;1'ScrialNo. $193,999

( Cl. -11'6--=--i11.'i"i) Claims.

This invention relates to a device ior indicating the movement of .fiuid through a hose or the like and has particular use as .a nozzle for a fire-extinguisher.

Certain safety apparatuses such as a fire extinguisher require attention to make sure that they are in operating order. Under some conditions a fire extinguisher be discharged slightly and yet to the person of average experience there is no way of detecting whether such extinguisherhas been partly discharged. or whether there has been no discharge from the extinguisher. Consequently, in order that one maybe sure that the fire extinguisher is full and in operating order, the fire extinguisher will be recharged even though it may have been simply removed from the wall-and never discharged at the time.

.One of theobjects or this invention is .pro-

vide a device which will indicate whether the fire extinguisher has been discharged .or any fluid has passed through :the hose which leads therefrom.

More broadly, an object of the invention is to provide aflow indicator for a hose to show that there has been a passage of fluid through the hose when such has occurred.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate this flow indicator in a nozzle at the end of the hose so that the device may be substituted for the nozzle which is at the end of the hose.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will not restrict the flow of the fluid through the hose by providing passages at least as large as the smallest area of the flow conduit without the indicator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will record and. show that a fire extinguisher has been operated and will not move back into its original position unless specifically moved back by some special tool or operation.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a hose nozzle on the end of a hose with the member prior to movement;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the indicating member as moved into dischargeindicating position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the member alone;

Eigureiis asectiononlined-i ofi 'igure 1;

Figure :5 :is a perspective view or" a modified formofindicatingmember; and

Figure 6 .is'a front view of a fire extinguisher having a hose with the hose nozzle of this invention attached thereto.

In proceeding with this invention, I have provided a nozzle in tubular form having a hollow body in whichathere is .provideda slidable member with a friction means for holding the member in different positions along the body, the friction beingsuchthat the flow will move the member in one direction and hold it there until there has been some positive insertion of a tool or other special operation to return it to its initial position, The arrangement is such that after the member :is moved, it does not restrict the there being provided in the member openings of an area at least as large as the cross sectional area of the smallest part of the nozzle.

with reference to the drawings, the hose is designated ill, and the .nozzle at the end thereof is designated generally it. .A body portion 12 is ioitztubularshapeand formed intwo sections. One section it :is usually opaque and has a reduced neck It to telescope into the end of the hose it. There .is a :bore vl5 through this neck into the hollowchamber itof the section .5 3, which chamrber has ,a'cylindrical inner surface it, as may be seen best in Figure '4.

The other or discharge section is is or transparent material and has a reduced nozzle 1 9 with a bore 20 therethrough for discharge of the fluid passing through the hose. This section also has a hollow chamber 2! having a cylindrical inner surface 22 of the same diameter as the cylindrical surface [1. The inner end of the nozzle section 18 is reduced and threaded as at 23, While the inner end of the hose section 13 is cupped and threaded as at 24 so as to receive the threads 23 that the parts may be joined together forming a combined chamber I 6, 2! of a continuous cylindrical bore of a size substantially larger than the bores of either the neck or nozzle portions above described.

Within the chamber [6, 2| I provide a member 25 having an outer wall of a shape corresponding in shape to the shape of the chamber I6, 21 which in this case is cylindrical and slightly smaller than the diameter of this chamber so as to permit free sliding movement of the member 25 therein. The length of this member 25 will be such that it will be completely housed in the opaque section, as shown in Figure 1, and thus hidden from view. This member 25 is generally hollow but has a web 26 which extends transversely across it, which web is provided with perforations 2'! at various locations preferably spaced outwardly from its center, as shown in Figure 4. The combined cross sectional area of the openings 21 will be greater than the bore at its most restricted point so that there will be no restriction of the flow of fluid through the nozzle by reason of the member 25. This member 25 will be provided with a resilient metal spring 28 which may pass through openings 29 in the walls of the member and be bent inwardly as at 38 so as to lock it in place. It will have an outwardly bowed or arcuate form so that when unrestricted or released, it will extend outwardly from the cylindrical surface of the member 25 and will engage and press upon the cylindrical surface I? or 22 of the chamber. In some cases the member 25 may have the resilient spring integral with its outer shell and raised therefrom as at M, as shown in Figure 5.

Usually the entire nozzle will be molded from resinous material, the discharge end being transparent and the hose end being opaque, such for instance as black, while the member 25 will be also of resinous molded material and will be of a red color although it may be of metal 25' and colored.

In operation, should fluid pass through the hose it! and through the nozzle, it will first errgage the web it and force the member 25 from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. and then the fluid will pass through the openings 21 in the web and out through the discharge end iii of the device. However, the indicator will have moved into a position where it may be seen, and thus one looking at the nozzle may know that there has been fluid passed therethrough. Even after the fluid stops, the frictional spring 28 or 3| will hold the member in the position to which it has been moved. Thus, one inspecting a fire extinguisher such as 33 (Figure 6) that has such a nozzle H affixed to the hose l6 thereof may know that it has been at least partly discharged if he should see the member 25 through the transparent portion iii of the nozzle.

In some cases it may be that the member 25 will have some printed matter on it, such for instance as Recharge when this red shows or some other instructive insignia.

I claim:

1. A flow indicator for a hose comprising a tubular body, a member slidable within said body and having a transverse portion to be engaged and moved by the movement of fluid through the hose and provided with a passage for the flow of fluid, said body having a transparent portion for the observance of said member in at least one position of its movement and means to retain said member in at least one position in said tubular body, said member remaining in said position after fluid has passed through said body.

2. A flow indicator as set forth in claim 1 wherein the retaining means is resilient and carried by the member to frictionally engage the inside of the wall of the tubular body, the friction being such that the movement of fluid on the body will cause sliding of the member there- 3. In combination with a fire extinguisher having a hose, means for registering the passage of fluid through said hose comprising a movable member having means associated therewith in the flow line of said hose to be actuated by the movement of fluid in the hose and remain in an actuated position after fluid has ceased to flow.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the member has a web across the nozzle to be en-- gaged and moved by the fluid and resilient ma terial affixed thereto to engage the walls of said nozzle.

5. A flow indicator for a hose comprising a tubular body having an inlet and outlet, a perforated member in said body having resilient means affixed thereto for engagement with said body, said member having a transverse portion to be engaged and moved by the flow of fluid through said body, said body having a transparent portion adjacent the outlet end thereof, said member remaining in the transparent portion after the flow of fluid has ceased.

RALPH R. TURNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

